I really need to post more often!

I know, I know! I haven't posted on this thing in forever. What have I been up to? Working, dieting, working on bicycles. I have lost around 80 pounds at this point, down to 342 from the 425 I was at when I started. I am also in the process of a huge lifestyle change beyond the diet.

I am getting laid off from my family business in May, just before I attend United Bicycle Institute. I will be attending UBI's Professional Repair and Shop Operation class. My hope is to get a job working in a local bicycle shop in Portland at first. What I really would like to do is open my own shop someday. Portland is a good city in which to get into the bicycle industry at least. I have been volunteering on Sunday's at the Community Cycling Center . Sunday's are the tear down days, we take apart donated bikes that aren't going to be used for their Holiday giveaway or Build a Commuter programs. I am looking forward to being able to attend their Tuesday night drop ins, they assemble and tune up bikes on those evenings.

As a personal project I have been rebuilding a 1974 Schwinn Varisty. This was my uncle's bike, he bought it brand new in 1974 from Hook's Cyclery in Gresham. He rode this bike everywhere back in the day, including down into Oxbow Park and back up that huge hill! The bike has spent the last 15 years under a tree in his backyard however and looked like this when I first got a hold of it.


It took a couple of months to clean all the parts but I managed to save most of the original components and reuse them when putting the bike back together. I got all new spokes and relaced the wheels, this was my first time ever lacing up a set of wheels and it took a few tries to get it right. Truing the wheels was no easy task without a proper truing stand, the rear wheel needed to be dished as well, again no dishing tool to work with. They turned out pretty good regardless, they could use some fine tuning but I plan to take care of that while at UBI. I also replaced the pedals as the originals were rusted and wouldn't spin anymore, I found a pair that would fit and take toe clips at the Community Cycling Center, not easy considering they have a 1/2" shaft instead of the 9/16" that modern bikes use. New cables and housing all around and new tires of course, the old ones were literally rotting off the bike. The seat was a soaked, slimy mess so that was replaced as well. I had the frame and forks powder coated at Brooker Enterprises for $100, they charge an extra $50 if they have to disassemble the bike but I did all of that myself.

Here is the bike as it looks now.